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It takes a brave restaurateur to describe his fare as "cuisine unique," but Douglas Dale not only treads where few chefs dare, he easily meets the challenge.

What's unique about the food at Wolfdale's isn't so much the ingredients (fresh and seasonal, of course), but the Zen-like way Dale allows them to speak individually, gracefully and with no unnecessary grandstanding.

Pristine hamachi and maguro sashimi arrived simply fanned about a tangle of gently briny arame seaweed topped with sprouts. Alternating the fish with bites of the salty and cool accompaniments seemed to heighten the flavors of all.

Dale's approach clearly has been shaped by the Asian chefs with whom he studied in both the United States and Japan. Eastern influences are readily apparent in the menu descriptions, and Dale bills his cuisine as "simple and clean."

It is exactly that: Sauces never dominate, and you won't find any outlandish or tacky presentations. It's as if the food were allowed to decide what it wanted to be.

Caesar salad and another of baby greens were each big enough for two (my only quibble of the entire meal), but represented one of the few courses in memory wherein the kitchen got the amount of dressing exactly right -- just enough to enhance the greens without causing the calorie-conscious diner a quiet panic.

They were followed by a fragrant, three-sip intermezzo of miso soup delivered in side-by-side sake cups -- a nice surprise.

But it was our entrées that had us leaning back in our seats and sighing.

My banana-leaf-wrapped packet of shrimp and day scallops also concealed a bed of subtly spiced rice noodles -- which reminded me of pad Thai -- and was topped by what turned out to be my favorite flavor of the night: crunchy, caramelized julienned leeks.

My guest, meanwhile, chose a Thai style red seafood curry laden with scallops, crab and shrimp, as well as pineapple and red grapes, both of which turned out to be remarkably delicious served hot. Again, the restrained nature of the curry allowed the other ingredients to speak for themselves.

Dessert was a just-barely-sweet coconut crème caramel with berries -- a nice departure from its sticky-sweet counterparts found elsewhere.

If the menu at Wolfdale's is cutting-edge, the atmosphere by contrast comes off with the slight stodginess typical to white-tablecloth establishments, although it's perked up considerably by the presence of mix-and-match artisan ceramic dinnerware, a different pattern, shape or style for every course.

My only other quibble: Some of the tables are arranged as side-by-side deuces, an uncomfortably-intimate arrangement that makes it difficult not to overhear your neighbors' conversations (and vice-versa).

For warm weather dining, though, there is outdoor seating with a view of the lake. Take it if you can get it; those deep blues and greens offer the perfect backdrop to some of the freshest, most vibrant cuisine you'll find anywhere.